Thinking About Vocabulary

Kelly GardnerPARATESOL 2009

A Little Bit About Me

Vocabulary

Research on Vocabulary

Knowing a word means morethan knowing the definition of aword (Scott and Nagy, 1997,Dale and O´Rourke, 1986)‏

Research on VocabularyVocabulary instruction should

provideRich information about words and

their usesFrequent and varied opportunities for

student to think about and use wordsEnhanced student language

comprehension and production (Beck,McKeown, and Kucan, 2002)‏

Vocabulary Activity: WordSort

Organize vocabulary into groups

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4

Vocabulary Activity:Word Sort

Organize vocabulary into groups

Critical AttributesCan be open or closed (with labels

or without) ‏Students should justify why they

put the word where they did(critical thinking)‏

Vocabulary Activity: Non-linguistic representation

Picture dictionary: Create a non-linguisticrepresentation of each vocabulary word.

Example:

Term Image

Accomodate: To allow for; consider theeducational or emotional needs of.

Non-linguisticRepresentation

Critical AttributesStudents must understand words

before they create a non-linguisticrepresentation of the word.

The quality of the drawing shouldnot be judged.

Vocabulary ActivityVocabulary Skits

Act out the meaning of your wordwithout speaking.

Vocabulary Activity:Think-Pair-Share

Think/ Write about yourunderstanding of the word.

Pair with someone to describe,explain or compare understanding

Share your knowledge of the word bycreating a visual or dramatizing theword in order to teach it to others.

Vocabulary Activity: Matching

Game Matching activityFind the person who has the

picture or card that correspondswith yours.

Vocabulary Activity: MatchingCritical Attributes

Should be done with words thatwill create some discussionrepresentation of the word.

Adding a picture is helpful withlower level students.

Scaffold by cutting each pairdifferently

Plan a Vocabulary Activity

Think of an English lesson thatintroduces new vocabulary.

Choose a vocabulary strategydiscussed today.

Plan how you will use it withthat lesson.

ReflectionI believe...One thing I´ve learned...In my opinion...I´m confused about...I will use this...I now know...I think...I wonder...

ResourcesAllen, J. (2007). Inside Words: Tools for

Teaching Academic Vocabulary, Grades 4-12.Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.

Beck, I. L., M. G. McKeown, and L. Kucan.(2002). Bringing Words to Life: RobustVocabulary Instruction. New York: GuilfordPress.

Dale, E., and J. O’Rourke. (1986). VocabularyBuilding: A Process Approach. Columbus,OH: Zaner-Bloser.

Scott, J. A., and W. Nagy. (1997).“Understanding the Definitions of UnfamiliarVerbs.” Reading Research Quarterly. 32 (2):184: 200.